


Wiped Clean

by Erait_Kai



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bickering, Character Death, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Dyad (Star Wars), Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pandemics, Rey Needs A Hug, Soft Kylo Ren, Space Virgins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:48:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erait_Kai/pseuds/Erait_Kai
Summary: The alert broadcasted from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim and beyond into the Unknown Regions. No one was immune to the pandemic raging throughout the Galaxy. It was so bad, so serious, that a ceasefire had even been called between the First Order and the Resistance.Leia sends Rey to Hoth to isolate.Set after the events of TLJ
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

The alert broadcasted from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim and beyond into the Unknown Regions. No one was immune to the pandemic raging throughout the Galaxy. It was so bad, so serious, that a ceasefire had even been called between the First Order and the Resistance.

Billions had been affected and soon that number would climb into the trillion mark. What had started as paranoia edging on hysteria was now a full blown panic.Supply stores had been rushed by mobs of all species, buying up everything and anything. People began hoarding stockpiles, isolating themselves; barricades went up, blasters and other assorted arms were kept by every dwelling’s entryway to protect against those wishing to take what wasn’t theirs. No one was safe. There was no immunity. It was every man for himself.

The only thing on the Holo-Net was news on the virus, running nonstop. A couple channels played holoshows like Moray and Faz to entertain the children who didn’t understand what was going on, much to the parent’s relief.

Rey was off on the Falcon when the com system alerted her to a high priority message. Putting down the hyperspanner, she quickly made her way to the cockpit - she had been flying on autopilot because she was on a solo mission.

“Master,” worried, Rey greeted Leia. “What’s wrong?”

“Rey, things have gotten worse. Don’t come back here. You need to isolate yourself. Many of the troops have fallen ill.”

Inhaling sharply, Rey’s hand flew to her mouth. She had only been gone a week, things had been fine when she left.

Leia continued. “I’m ok, but am hunkering down. The infirmary is full. You need to set course to somewhere isolated and safe.”

Rey’s brow furrowed. “But where? Shouldn’t I come back?”

“Absolutely not. I’m sending you coordinates on an encrypted channel. It’s an old rebel base - heavily armoured, lots of stockpiled rations, and somewhere where no one would ever go, even now.”

“What? Where?” She didn’t like the sound of this place. But, it did sound better than where she grew up. At least there was food.

Leia chuckled softly. “You’ll see. Head there right away, and stay there until you hear from me again. May the Force be with you.”

“And with you, Master. Please stay safe.”

Rey flicked the channel closed and slumped back into the pilot seat, a look of shocked disbelief painting her features. A light flashed on the console, indicating the encrypted coordinates were downloading into the Falcon’s nav computer.

“Ok, where are we off to?” Rey murmured, studying the read out. Her eyebrows raised, Rey groaned. “Oh, not there. Please not there!!”

Coordinates set, the Falcon made for Hoth.

***  
  


“Get out.” 

Startled by the infamous modulated voice that all feared, the sanitzation crew quickly obeyed, all but running out of the Upsilion Class shuttle. Kylo Ren sealed the hatch and stalked toward the cockpit.

The virus hadn’t reached the Finalizer yet, but it was only a matter of time. Most of the fleet had ship wide losses standing at 50%, with a further 25% comatose, clogging up the infirmaries and leaving only skeleton crews to run the Destroyers. Kylo knew it was time to go, First Order be damned. Most of the command officers had already deserted anyway. The whole thing was a loss. Best to strike out on his own than be left on a flying Petrie dish.

Toggling the controls, Kylo set his course. No one would bother him there, because who the hell would escape to that frozen wasteland? 

Leaving the hanger, he set the shuttle for autopilot and engaged the hyperdrive. With that chore out of the way, Kylo removed his mask and watched the stars warp by. His thoughts turned to Rey. Always Rey. He balled his hand into a fist at his weakness, but caught himself. 

“What does it matter anymore? Everything is collapsing,” he muttered. He gave himself permission to think about the girl who had consumed his thoughts, ever since that night on Ahch-To. In the back of his mind, he worried desperately about her safety. Where was she? Was she sick? He shook his head, as if to dismiss this sentimentality. She had mastered the art of shielding herself from him, after their last encounter on Crait. 

There’d be lots of time to think and figure things out after he got to where he was going. After all, there wasn’t anything else to do on Hoth, now was there?

***

_ Kriff it’s cold! _ Rey thought to herself as she fought to get the old reactor going. “C’mon, one more wire and that should do it...” she gritted her teeth to keep them from chattering.Leia was right. No one in their right mind would ever come here, plague be damned.

With a final smack to the casing, the room filled with the hum of a fully functional reactor. She sighed in relief. At least she wouldn’t freeze to death in the dark. She set the heating controls to a comfortable level - at least the common areas weren’t carved out of ice, and she’d have hot water for showers. Exhaling in relief, Rey picked up her belongings and headed to one of the dorms. 

After exploring for a bit, she found a sizeable store of rations and prepared herself a ready meal immediately. Famished, she bolted her meal. Not bad for being over 30 years old.

“Tomorrow I’ll make this place more like home,” she declared, to no one in particular. But, she was accustomed to talking to herself, after so many years on her own. Making her way back to the bunks, she gratefully climbed into the closest bed. She was looking forward to some rest.

***

Landing his shuttle just outside the hanger bay, Kylo found it slightly odd that the blast door was closed. He couldn’t sense anyone around, and mentally shrugged. 

Moving towards the rear of the shuttle, he entered his cabin. Quickly, he stripped off his old Knights of Ren attire (they were all dead anyway, so his clothes really didn’t matter anymore) and changed into a flight suit more like his father used to wear. Feeling much more comfortable, he also grabbed his cold weather gear. He could open the hanger door from inside the ship using one of the many codes his mother made him memorize years ago, but he’d have to close it from the inside. Utilizing one of the many consoles in his room he plugged in the code quickly, then set the shuttle in deep cold hibernation mode. 

Swinging his pack over his shoulder and lowering his goggles into place, Kylo lowered the ramp and quickly shut it behind him by remote. “Yup, kriffing worst place in the galaxy,” he muttered as he made his way through the raging blizzard into the hanger. Finding the control panel, he closed the shield doors, then removed his goggles when he was safely sealed inside. Turning to head to the reactor chamber, he froze, mouth agape. 

“Oh kriff...” The Falcon. Groaning, Kylo trudged towards the common area. He wasn’t alone after all. “She’s gonna kill me.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey learns the extent of the virus and grudgingly allows Kylo to stay.

Peering around the corner, Kylo made sure she wasn’t in the common area. Exhaling, he dropped his pack on the floor at one of the tables, and went to find a snack. Rummaging through the ration packs, he found something that looked palatable and shrugged. Not like First Order fare was much better.

Sitting down, he pressed on the built-in thermal heat trigger and watched impatiently as his meal reconstituted and warmed itself. He was starving. Ready to dig in, he lifted his utensil, only to be stopped by an angry hiss. He froze.

“ _You_!” Rey snapped. She stood with her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing angrily at Kylo with the food halfway to his mouth. “How dare you follow me here!” she accused. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa just a sec,” he said, putting his hands up, “I didn’t follow you! I just came to hide out but it looks like  someone told you about this place before I could get here. AND, I couldn’t have followed you if I wanted too! I can’t sense you because you’ve blocked me out, remember???”

She continued to glare at him. He had to fight the urge to smile because an angry Rey was just so damn...endearing.

“Well this is just great, now isn’t it?”she said, throwing her arms up in the air. Her hair was loose and still tussled from sleep. She had been resting quite peacefully in fact, before she heard all the banging around in the common room. “And such a  _coincidence_ .”

He sighed. “Look, it’s definitely not ideal, but I think this base is big enough for the two of us. If you must continue pretending I don’t exist, then you shouldn’t have a problem.” Her eyes widened at that.  Uh-oh.  He winced at his choice of words and braced himself for the next round of Rey fury.

It didn’t come. Instead, she eyed him angrily while she thought about what she was going to say. 

Of all the places he could have gone! Oh for the love of...  She sighed, let her fury dissipate - to an extent. After leaving him on Crait she had been so hurt and so angry at him, the best way she thought she could move on was to shut him out entirely. Now that she saw him again though, her anger began to lessen.  Those eyes, damn it...” What about your precious First Order, Supreme Leader?” 

Fixing her with a level gaze he slowly lowered his arms, took the bite of food still sitting on his fork, and chewed thoughtfully.  She doesn’t know. Swallowing, he carefully formed his reply. “How long has it been since you watched the Holo-Net?”

She snorted. “You mean how long has it been since I tuned in to see state-run propaganda? Over a week,” she replied. Worry started to form in the back of her mind. Leia had told her things were getting worse...

“Rey,” he began slowly, putting down his utensil to give her his full attention. “It’s over. A ceasefire was called. The virus has decimated everything. There’s no First Order, no Resistance, or much of anything now. All that’s left are just people trying to survive. This thing is wiping out everything we know - it doesn’t take sides.”

Her face fell. She knew it was bad, but she didn’t know what was going on outside of the Resistance, she only knew what Leia had told her. “It’s everywhere? Why should I believe you?” her voice trembled. 

“I’ve never lied to you Rey. Reach out and lower your block. Look into my thoughts.” he calmly instructed. 

She looked into his eyes from across the room, and saw no deception. That remark about never lying though, that hit her. While it was technically true, she was still nursing her emotional wounds from the aftermath of Kylo killing Snoke. He must have seen the pain in her eyes, because his face softened in understanding. His eyes reflected back the same sadness she was burdened with.

She nodded almost imperceptibly and her eyes fluttered closed. Feeling the Force swirling around her, Rey lowered the walls she had built to keep him out. He relaxed, closed his eyes, and let her in. Completely. 

“ _This is an alert from the emergency broadcast system. Major civil unrest and riots have broken out in many system capitals. Do not travel at this time. Do not go to the infirmary if you feel ill. Stay home and call for help.”_

_“Resources are overwhelmed and supply shortages are leaving shelves empty. Limits have been imposed on certain items.”_

_ “ No unauthorized travel at this time. Curfews are in effect.”  _

_“Conservative estimates project that two-thirds of the galaxy’s inhabitants will perish. Once infected, the virus kills the host within three standard days. Seek shelter, self-isolate, and treat everyone as if they’ve already been exposed. Do not leave your homes.”_

_He stood and quickly began packing a bag. Fear and desperation washed over him as he thought of Rey and how he still couldn’t reach her._

_“Supreme Leader, the fleet is lost. Skeleton crews are foundering, with many becoming ill. What are your orders? We’re the only ship that’s not infected.” Kylo Ren looked down at the commander, mask in place. “Every man for himself. Is my shuttle ready?” The young officer nervously checked his data pad. “Ye-yes, they’ve just finished.”_

The memories kept coming; Kylo didn’t stop her from seeing anything. The longing to connect with her. His guilt and pain after Crait. How he had meant it when he told he that she wasn’t alone, and his anger at himself when he sabotaged his own promise. The conflict that consumed him every minute. The feeling of being too far gone for anyone to ever help him out of his nightmare. Hopelessness, hope, hopelessness. 

He opened his eyes first. Watched her shoulder slump, her lovely face turn haunted. “Rey...”

Opening her eyes, a tear traitorously ran down her cheek. “Are you sick?” she asked, trying to maintain her anger from before - and failing. 

“No. If I were, I’d have chosen to go anywhere but here to die,” he said dryly.

“I’ll let you get back to your food then. I’m going back to bed. We’ll come up with house rules tomorrow,” she turned and started back to her room. “There’s a bunk room that way.” Pointing in the opposite direction she was going, she left the common area.

Kylo pushed his food around as he contemplated the situation. Letting her in had also allowed him to see into her thoughts. She had wanted him. To take his hand and stand at his side...but as Ben. Sighing tiredly, he finished his food, cleaned up and went to find his bunk. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey experiences a terrifying vision, and doesn’t want to be alone.

Rey stared at the ceiling in her room for what seemed like hours after leaving Kylo in the common room. This had been Leia’s doing, she decided. After all, she would have made sure to teach her son about these types of places - in case anything ever rose up against the New Republic or political threats occurred against Leia and her family. Her master would have known Rey and Kylo would meet here. Why would she do that? Because she thought there was still a chance to bring back Ben back to the Light. To save them both? Rey sighed.

She decided to reach out with the Force. Images and feelings bombarded her - the suffering the virus was causing throughout the galaxy; awful agony with no end. There was nothing anyone could do to help ease the pain so many were in. Closing in, she focused on those closest to her - Leia, Finn and Poe. She felt pain, suffering and death - and immediately knew that her whole world was being devastated. Most of the Resistance were dead. Her adoptive family would not be there for her when this was over. The vision was overwhelming, terrifying; her emotions took over. Freely crying now, Rey realized that this disease was not of the light or the dark...it just _was_. And that was why Leia wanted the two of them on Hoth. Though Rey never told her master of the strange connection she shared with Kylo Ren, Leia must have sensed it.

He hadn’t been able to sleep either, and had been replaying their encounter over and over again. He desperately wanted to make things up to her, to atone for what he’d done. The desire to be close to her was consuming; he had spent days, weeks, trying to find her before all hell broke out in the galaxy. She had become his obsession above anything else. Kylo was thinking of how he could re-earn her trust, when he was hit by the feeling of her anguish crashing like waves of deep sorrow rippling through the Force. He got up quickly and threw on a tunic.

She felt him moving towards her room before hearing his soft knock. Of course he would know; their connection saw to that. “Rey?” he called quietly. She felt small, alone, insignificant and utterly destroyed. At that moment, she needed someone - anyone - to be there with her. For her. With a slight movement of her hand, she allowed the door to open. Slowly he came in to her room, closing the door behind him to keep the precious warmth inside. She looked up at him - Kylo - Ben - whoever he was, and didn’t bother to try to hide her sorrow or tears. Because as hard as she tried, she couldn’t hold on to the hate. By nature she was compassionate, almost to a fault. He moved towards her bed, his dark eyes locked on hers. As he sat beside her, she looked down at her hands.

“What is it? Tell me,” he said impossibly softly, his voice causing Rey’s insides to somersault. And when she looked up at him again, she saw who she’d been searching for, the person she knew was inside that hate-fuelled shell. “I...I had a vision. About your mother, and my friends. They’re not going to make it, Kylo. I’ll have lost my family all over again. I don’t want to be alone, I can’t bare it.” She felt like a child confessing a nightmare, and more tears began to fall. For a moment he was saddened to hear her call him by _that_ name, but it was no more than he deserved. He needed to focus on her, helping her through this pain, so he gently reached toward her to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Not removing his hand, he cupped her face and wiped a tear away with his thumb. Her eyes closed at his touch, and she couldn’t help but lean into it. His other hand reached for hers and the Force hummed warmly between them, weaving its spell - guiding - enforcing - what was meant to be.

“I know what you saw. I feel what you felt - the pain of the galaxy, all of it - including your thoughts on how my mother orchestrated our meeting here, which I would agree is what happened. Rey, this is bigger than any of us, any war or power struggle. It is as the Force wills.” His eyes traced her face, lingered on her lips. He worked his jaw as he forced himself to tell her what he’d been wanting to ever since she closed herself off from him. “I once told you that you weren’t alone. In my lust for power, I broke that promise. You have no reason to forgive me, but I want you to know that I did mean what I said. Words won’t convey it properly, but I’m sorry for what I did. I’ll always be with you - you’re...everything to me.”

“Ben,” she whispered, eyes still closed and clutching his hand tight. His heart swelled hearing his birth name come off her lips, and could feel her forgiveness radiating forth towards him. He stroked her cheek again, this time moving across her cheekbone, tracing down her jaw and chin. Rey began to sense the light overtaking the darkness inside him. “What are we going to do?” He looked at her calmly, tenderness in his eyes. “We are going to stay here, safe and tucked away from all of this. That’s what my mother wanted us to do. We’ll meditate, heal, and follow the will of the Force.”

When she opened her eyes, his eyes were of longing, hope and understanding. She knew she was drowning in their depths but she couldn’t look away. The pull of their bond drew her in closer and the Force sang in delight. It felt right, like coming home. “Who are you?” she breathed, hypnotized. “Why does the Force connect us in this way? It’s different than before. It’s like...” her voice trailed off as she tried to put her feelings into words. It was as if they had known each other forever, and after a long separation full of desperate searching - finding each other again. The Force demanded they be together; she couldn’t deny it.

“I feel it too,” he murmured, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. He had spent many long hours after their first Force connection, and every subsequent one after that, trying to understand what it was that the Force was telling them. When Snoke proclaimed it was he who had joined their minds, Kylo raged at being used that way. But the connection persisted after his former master’s death, and Kylo realized the lie; he realized that Snoke had been using and feeding him lies for years. But what were lies, and what was truth? Was any of it truth? Had he been played since childhood? It was an awful, shameful feeling. Instead, he had slowly started to focus on what he could see, what he knew was the truth through the Force. There were no more dark voices twisting through his mind, save for his own in self doubt and conflicted thoughts. He had despaired of finding Rey again, but it was no less what he deserved. And he knew with certainty that his fate was intertwined with hers. Light side, dark side - it didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was them, and how the Force fuelled their precious connection. Their bond was deepening exponentially with every passing moment now that they had been reunited. It was unlike anything he had learned about in his past teachings...

He came closer, so that his forehead was resting on hers. She sighed, closing her eyes again. He was so warm and she felt safe with him. Being near him was dizzying, intoxicating. Her heart began to pound and she felt the warmth travelling down to her core. Moving away he cupped her face between both of his hands, and kissed her brow reverently. “Get some sleep,” he murmured.

Rey was trembling inside. Shyly, she looked up at him. “Will you stay with me?” Her heart almost stopped beating when the words came out of her mouth. Ben felt like his did. Never in his life had he shared a bed with anyone, and now this beautiful creature wanted him there, with her. Silently he nodded, not wanting to risk tripping over his words and ruining the moment. She moved over and he climbed in, wrapped his arms around her, and she nuzzled against his chest. It was perfect. They were perfect. “Thank you,” she said quietly, as she snuggled in and quickly fell asleep. Amazed, he lay awake watching her for a long while, until sleep took him to the most restful slumber he ever experienced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know the Hoth base is extremely cold, so I took some liberties with it to make it a bit more comfortable in the bunks. 
> 
> Thanks for the kudos! Hope you like this one. Comments appreciated ❤️


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Echo Base needs a clean up, and Ben has a revelation.

She woke slowly, relishing the warmth of a shared bed and his body so close to hers. Rey didn’t want to wake him, so instead of jumping out of bed and immediately searching out food as per her normal routine, she lay there quietly, just looking at him. She marvelled at how peaceful he was, his untroubled features so wonderful to behold. She had to consciously still her hand from smoothing away the untamed curls of raven hair from his face, smiling at how unruly it was. Her heart swelled as her mind wandered to thinking about how it was just them right now - Rey and Ben - no more battling, no more pain and sadness when thinking of each other. Together, they would survive and help each other through their, and the galaxy’s, agony - because no matter what happened she knew she’d never be alone again, and neither would he. It was the will of the Force, and she was more than happy to bend to its will when it came to Ben. Still smiling at his beautiful sleeping face, she slowly extracted herself from bed to get some rations ready, hoping also to find some caf.

Most of Echo Base had been left in complete disarray after the rebels evacuated during the sneak Imperial attack. Surprisingly it didn’t seem to have been plundered too badly by the scavengers who had set up temporary camp after the battle - they were more interested in the old Imperial AT-ATs for parts and tech, and no one ever really wanted to go to Hoth anyway with the -60c nights and all. And those who did venture to the frigid world didn’t stay long.

For the most part the base itself was intact, but there were a few areas where the bombardment had caused significant damage. Collapsed roofs or cracks in the ceiling had been filled with ice and snow long ago, so there was no direct exposure in the way of howling wind and biting cold. The worst mess consisted of the fallen - rebels and snowtroopers alike, mummified by the decades of deep cold, littering the various corridors that branched from the hanger. They were a gruesome reminder of a war that was supposed to bring lasting peace - and yet the cycle had began again. A vicious circle.

The common room wasn’t as large as a normal mess hall; it was more like a rec room with a small kitchenette. There were two small round tables, some furniture to lounge on, a Dejarik table and some lockers by the entrance way. It would do for now, though they’d have to find the mess hall soon to take account of their food supplies. Rey opened one of the cupboards and began to dig through the pile of ration packs, looking for something that would do for breakfast. “Ah, here we go,” she murmured to herself upon finding two standard breakfast ration packs. “And what’s in here...” She continued looking through the cupboards until her earlier prayer for caf was answered. Setting the packets on the counter, she tested the water supply. To her relief the pump started up fairly quickly, and the heating element that warmed the water seemed to be working too. She found two mugs, and after giving them a quick rinse, filled them at the boiling water dispenser. She hummed happily as she worked, not hearing the soft approach of footsteps.

“Are you an angel?” asked the deep velvet voice at her ear. She gasped, the sound of his voice and the warmth of his breath causing a delicious shiver to roll down her body and her eyes to close. Ben moved to lean against the counter, grinning as he picked up his mug. “Caf, Rey. You are an angel, I knew it!” She laughed as she opened her eyes to meet his, twinkling over the brim as he took a sip. “Well, if I had known that was all it’d take,” she shrugged, still smiling as she raised her own mug for a drink. She hummed contentedly, caf never seemed to taste so good.

Chuckling, he reached for the breakfast packs. “Allow me,” he said as he pressed on the thermal buttons and placed them on the table. Pulling out a chair, he motioned for her to sit. “After you, angel.”

Rey grinned, happily taking her seat. “Why thank you,” she replied, opening her ration and digging right in. Ben watched her, eyes alight with humour while he opened his. She ate anything, uncomplainingly.

“I’d like to start cleaning up around here today, and start to work an inventory of our supplies,” she said as she chewed. “Maybe we’ll find the mess hall and hit the mother lode, extra clothes, who knows?”

He nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Later I’ll bring the shuttle into the hanger - no sense in leaving it out for all who may venture here to see, and there’s a few things that we may be able to use, like the holo-net receiver...” He paused, seeing her face fall. She was afraid of what they’d see on the broadcasts, afraid of the horrors out there, and afraid for her friends. “Hey,” he whispered, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze, “I’m here. We’ll get through this together.”

After breakfast, they each went to change out of their sleepwear. Knowing there was dirty work ahead, Rey checked the lockers and luckily found some coveralls in various sizes. “Ben, come look,” she called out. “I’m not sure if any of these will fit you...” She pulled out a few that she thought would be long enough and piled them on the table. “They’re clean, been hanging in the locker. I wonder what else we’ll find today.”

“What did you find?” Ben entered the room, shirt still in his hands. Rey turned around to show him her discovery only to come face to face with his broad, muscular chest.

“Oh! I - uhhh - ummm....” her cheeks flushed as she stumbled on her words. As before on Ahch-To, seeing Ben shirtless was beyond distracting. And now he was so close she could place her hand on his bare chest, feel his heat as she tipped her head up to receive his kiss, have him take her in his arms, loom over her while she memorized the contours of his body with her hands....

He chuckled lightly, dark eyes amused. “Loth cat got your tongue, angel?”

Snapping out of her fantasy, she shook her head “I - ummm - sorry. I - uh, I found these!” She turned, grabbed the work clothes from the table and practically shoved them in to Ben’s arms. She forced herself to look him in the eyes, and was met with a lopsided grin that all but made her knees give out. “Wha-what’s so funny?”

He tossed the clothes back on the table, standing his ground and not breaking eye contact. “You. Beautiful, innocent you. Have you ever been kissed?” He could almost hear her heart’s frantic beating, and her wide eyes told him all he needed to know. His gaze moved down to her lips. “Hmmm...well I think...” he whispered as he came closer, his lips barely any inch from hers, “It works like this.”

And just when his mouth was about to capture hers, an obnoxious electronic beeping started going off incessantly, startling both back to the present moment. Rey exhaled and looked sheepishly at Ben. He put his hand behind his head and laughed. “What in the Force is that?”

“Your mother calling.”

Ben closed his eyes and groaned. “Of course it is.”

Rey laughed, swatting him on the arm. “Look through those coveralls,” the beep went off again. “I’d better answer her.”

She clicked her comm unit, which had been in her pocket. “Leia, are you alright?”

“Rey,” said the warm, but tired, voice, “I’ve been better. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, no - of course not. Just going to get started cleaning up this place a bit.” She looked over at Ben, who was putting his shirt on, a slight smirk on his face. She swatted him playfully again.

“Ah yes, I’m afraid we left it a bit of a mess on our way out,” Leia chuckled wryly, a sound Rey dearly missed. She began coughing, and Rey saw a look of concern crossing Ben's face. “I’m afraid things are...not good, Rey. I’m sending the droids to you; Artoo knows his way, he can pilot,”

_He looks so confused and heartbroken_ , thought Rey sadly as she looked over to Ben. _Of course, he hasn’t seen his mother in at least ten years, and she sounds so fragile now_. She reached over, grabbed his hand, and held it, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m going to send extra supplies and a few other things, the droids will sanitize everything and they know to quarantine for three days before they come in,” Leia sighed. “Rey, I should have told you this, but my son knows the access codes for the base. I don’t know if he’ll end up there, but he’s still out there somewhere - I can feel it. If you do see him...there are things for him I’m sending along. In case...”

Rey’s eyes filled with tears. It was as if Leia was preparing for the end. Like she was tying up loose ends. Ben looked devastated. She knew he wasn’t ready to speak to his mother. “Leia, I’ll - if I see him, I’ll make sure he gets them.”

“Thank you. Rey, I want you to know...I’ve always thought of you as- I would have loved to have you as a daughter.”

Ben couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer. He left the common room, down the hall towards his bunk. Rey felt helpless, sensing his anguish and pain. _He doesn’t know how to start speaking with her again_ , she realized with a heavy heart. And there might not be much time left to.

“Oh, would you listen to me, going on like an old woman. You get back to it, Rey. I’ll call again in the morning, after the droids take off.”

“Alright. Please rest. I’ll talk to you soon. And Leia? Thank you.”

A chuckle came over the comm. “Don’t thank me. You know how those droids are, especially Threepo. Bye Rey.”

Rey drew a shaky breath and pocketed the comm as she left the common room. Walking down the hall, she could see that Ben had left his door open. He was sitting on the edge of his bunk, slouched over, head in his hands. She went to him, kneeling on the floor in front of him.

“She sounded so small,” he said, still looking down. “I’ve taken so much from her and I can’t get our time back. I was so angry, so misled. I only wanted her to love me - " Rey cut him off. “No, Ben, that’s what Snoke wanted you to think. She did and never stopped loving you, never, _ever_ stopped hoping.” She put her hands on his shoulders. “Breathe, reach out - you’ll find how she feels. Feel the Force.”

He began to calm as he found his mother through the Force, and saw her in different way now that the darkness was all but gone. Before, his conditioning and Snoke’s influence had distorted her light, twisting it. He felt her love - a mother’s love - unfailing through everything. He lowered his hands on to his knees and opened his eyes to see Rey staring intently at him. He didn’t want to waste anymore of his life, here at the end of so many other’s. He wanted his mother to know that her son loved her.

“Everything’s clear now Rey. I know what I have to do,” he said as her took her hand. She smiled, feeling that his internal conflict that defined him for most of his life was gone; peace and purpose had replaced it. Taking her other hand, he smiled back at her. “Let’s start by getting this place cleaned up. It’ll be home for awhile...but I think wherever we end up, as long as I’m with you, it’ll be home.”

Rey stood, still holding his hands. “Yes,” she grinned, her heart full. “Let’s go build our home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like! Your comments and kudos are awesome encouragement - thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I haven’t written in years, so I hope this isn’t too bad, lol. Comments welcome!


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